Animal Profiles
Reptiles

Desert Tortoise

Gopherus agassizii

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

The Mojave desert tortoise is a burrowing reptile of the southwestern United States. Sheltering underground helps it avoid both extreme heat and winter cold.

Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) photographed in the Mojave Desert, southern California.

Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) photographed in the Mojave Desert, southern California.

Tigerhawkvok · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
The Mojave population occurs north and west of the Colorado River in California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Sandy flats, washes, canyons and rocky foothills provide habitat. Older accounts used this species name for a wider set of desert tortoises.
Habitat
Desert
Diet
Herbivore
Food
Herbs, grasses, cactus and wildflowers provide food. Tortoises spend long periods sheltered in burrows and are most active during suitable spring and autumn weather. Underground refuges are central to surviving the desert’s seasonal extremes.

Classification

Common name
Desert Tortoise
Browse group
Reptiles
Scientific name or taxon
Gopherus agassizii
Taxon rank
species
Family
Testudinidae
Genus
Gopherus
Source classification
Reptilia

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Its front limbs are adapted for digging.
  • It eats grasses and other desert plants.
  • It spends long periods sheltered in burrows.

Habitat and range

The Mojave population occurs north and west of the Colorado River in California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Sandy flats, washes, canyons and rocky foothills provide habitat. Older accounts used this species name for a wider set of desert tortoises.

Appearance and adaptations

A high-domed upper shell ranges from brown to grey or black. Broad, flattened front limbs are adapted for digging, while the hind legs are stout. The lower shell is lighter in colour.

Diet and behaviour

Herbs, grasses, cactus and wildflowers provide food. Tortoises spend long periods sheltered in burrows and are most active during suitable spring and autumn weather. Underground refuges are central to surviving the desert’s seasonal extremes.

Sources

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